Northwest Labor Press is an independent union-supported newspaper founded in 1900. Our print version is mailed twice a month to about 45,000 members of over three dozen local unions in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Our online version has been maintained here since 1997.
Comment
Opinion. Debate. Discussion. Analysis. This section is where we publish guest submissions in our open forum.
It’s (past) time for Oregon to level the playing field
Oregon lawmakers should end the exclusion of unemployment insurance benefits for working people when they are on strike.
Plumb and true. Thanks, Paul Holvey
As a legislator who came out of the labor movement, he looked first at the impact laws would have on the lives of working class people.
The truth about project labor agreements
The Oregon labor movement strives to create a fair and just economy for all workers, and PLAs are a crucial part of this effort.
A powerful year of labor action in Oregon
With all the noise over the threats we expect from the Trump Administration, it’s easy to forget how powerful and inspiring 2024 has been.
We need solidarity now more than ever
Presidential administrations change, but the values of the labor movement do not.
How to save democracy
If people aren't thriving, they may have little interest in defending an institution that seems to have failed.
Dan Rayfield: A labor champion we can count on
Dan Rayfield has stood with workers in countless ways. The Oregon labor movement is all in for him to be our next Attorney General.
Mutual responsibility trumps individualism
I reached out to some of Oregon’s most powerful and reflective labor leaders to find out how we are thinking about Labor Day.
Our 125th year!
With this edition, the Labor Press enters its 125th year. Over the next 12 months, we’ll celebrate by looking back at our movement’s history.
Oregon labor is ‘all in’ for Harris-Walz
This energy and excitement is deeply rooted in the countless accomplishments of the most pro-union administration in American history.
The power of organization
It’s a mistake to think that “union organizing” starts and ends with signing a union card and getting a government agency to certify a union.
Healthcare Workers (still) Leading the Way
Here in Oregon, we continue to see some of the most inspirational worker-led actions at healthcare institutions across the state.
25 years!
Have I learned anything in a quarter century as a labor journalist? Do I feel any differently about the labor movement’s prospects?
For clues about our future, look to our past
Amid widening wage and wealth gaps, it’s little wonder that an ever-growing number of people see labor unions as part of the solution.
May 30: You won’t want to miss it
We’re excited to host our annual Oregon Labor Organizing Summit on May 30 at the LiUNA Local 737 union hall in Portland.
Honoring the Key Bridge workers
The bridge collapse highlighted that immigrants often work in hazardous occupations, with construction jobs ranking among the most dangerous.
Critical mission: workplace safety
More than 50 years ago on April 28 the Occupational Safety and Health Act went into effect, promising every worker the right to a safe job.
Spring-time power building
If every union household turned out for pro-labor candidates in 2024, we would sweep the elections from the top to the bottom of the ballot.
Oregon labor is all-in for Julie Su
Despite confirmation as deputy secretary of labor in 2021, a few senators have been trying to block a vote on her nomination as secretary.
Oregon labor is still strike ready
This is our time to push back on the rigged economic system and win what’s ours from the wealth our labor creates.
